Block-trimming machine



Oct. 6, 1925. 1,556,013

` c. s. HEATH BLOCK TRIMMING MACHINE Filed Aug. 17, 1921 PIE"l 3 5 g o o l t |I Il 7/2 INVENTOR.- @mais 5. fvff/W/ RNEY.1

Patented Oct. 6, 1925.

UNITED STATES CHARLES S. HEATH, 0F PETOSKEY, MICHIGAN.

BLOCK-TRIMMING MACHINE.

Application filed August 17, 1921. Serial No.V 493,043.

T0 all whom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, CHARLES SVI-IEATI-I, a citizen of the United States, residing at Petoskey, in the county of Emmet and State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Block-Trimming Machines, of which the follo-wing is a specification.

This invention relates toa block trimming machine, and one particularly adapted for trimming surfaces of meat-chopping and similar blocks so as to maintain a smooth surface on the block.

The prime feature of theinvention is the provision of means for driving the cutting disk and so constructing and arrangingsaid driving means that it may be yused with either a direct or alternating current.

,A further feature of the invention is the means of connecting the cutting device with the driving means whereby a maximum driving power will be derived, while the cutting element is driven at a minimum speed.

A further feature of the invention is in so constructing the parts of the p trimmer that an air chamber or spaceV is provided between the lower face of the trimming element and the face of the trimmed portion of the block thereby eliminating friction between the cutting element and the face of the block. Y. ,Y

Other objects and advantages will be hereinafter more fully set forth and pointed out in the accompanying specification.

In the accompanying drawings,

Figure l is a top plan view of theV device, parts being shown in section,

Figure 2 is a sectional view as seen on line 2 2, Figure l,

Figure 3 is afsectional view as seen on line 3 8, Figure 1,

Figuref is a sectional view as seen on line H, Figure 3, Y

Figure 5 is a perspective view of a hood for the cutting element, and

Figure 6 is ax diagrammatic view of a switch mechanism for controlling the driv ing elements.

Referring to the drawings, l indicates a housing in one end of which is formed a bearing 2, and extending through said bearing is a shaft 3, the lower end of said shaft having any suitable form of cutting element 4 attached thereto, said element being employed for trimming or cutting off the top surface of a meat chopping block for removing any inequalities in the surface of the block. i k;

In order to obviate the necessity of, providing a different motor for different currents encountered, such as a direct current or alternating current, and at the same time increase the driving power for the shaft 3 and the cutting element attached thereto, two or more motors 5 and 6 are mounted in the housing l, which are wound universal, and as shown in the diagrammatic view of Figure 6, are wired inv parallel or series, thereby adaptingthc motors for any suitable electric current.

In' Figure G the poles A are connected with a double pole double throw switch, and when a light current is being used, say 110 volts, the switch is moved to the contacts B, thus connecting the motors in parallel, and when a higher voltage is used, say 220, the switch is moved to engagement with the contacts C, thereby connecting the motors in series. The multiple motors are arranged for driving theshaft 3 by connecting gears 7 to the rotors of the motors 5 and 6, and interposing a gear 8 between the gears 7, said ear 8v being mounted upon a shaft 9 to whic is connecteda bevel gear 10, said shaft 9 passing through a bearing 11 on the housing` l, the gears 7 lbeing of a less diameter than thev diameter of the gear 8. The bevel gear 10 in turn meshes with a bevel gear 12 on the shaft 3 andby means of which said shaft and the cutting element attached thereto are driven, and by connecting the motors to the shaft 3 through the medium of the various gears, as shown, the driving power of the motors will be greatly enhanced while the revolution of the cutting element will be lowered.

In order toprovide an air space between the cutting element andthe surface being trimmed, thereby eleminating friction between the face of the cutting element and the facel of the block, the shaft 3 is Set at such an angle that the advancing and cutting portions la and t, of the cutting edge of the element 4, will be in a plane lower than the remainder of the cutting element, thereby disposing the lower face of the cutting element at such an angle as to leave an air space therebetween and. the trimmed face of the block.

Heretofore, the cutting element has been mounted so as to rest flat upon the trimmed surface which caused extensive friction, and to such an eXtent as to materially. interfere with the action of the cutting element, `as well as charring the surface of vthe block. By tilting the cutting velement as shown in Figures 3 and 4, and thus providing an air space below the cutting element, these objectionable features are entirely overcome, while the tilt is so slight that the surface of the block will, -topall appearances, be perfectly flat.

The housing l is preferably provided with channeled rollers 13, which lare adapted to travel over a trackw-ay 14, saidf trackway being 'in turn mounted upon -a Acarriage 15, the "carriage 15 beingin turn mounted upon a trackway 146.` By'mou-nting-the housing in this manner the cuttingelement may be movedv back and forth over the surface of the object being trimmed or cut olf, consequently the entire surface of the chopping block maybe treated without resetting the carriage and -trackway upon which it is mounted other than the travel ofthe ca-rriage and the housing mounted thereon over the surface of the block.

The cutting element 4 is preferably covered over vwitha hood 17, vwhich has a collar 18 for engagement with bearing 2, binding screws 19'be'ing employed for securing the hood .to the bearing, and the hood may have a removable section 20, for convenience of removing or attaching the hood without removing the cutting element 4. The edge of the hood 17 adjacent the point of contact of the cutting element with the Lsurface being removed is provided with an opening 21, the end walls of which bear against the surfaces of theportions being trimmed, while at a point substantially diametrically opposite the opening 21 is a discharge nozzle v22.

By providing two or more motors with universal winding and wiring them together in parallel o r series, a universal driving element is provided and may receive current from either direct or alternating currents; consequently but one form of motor is required, while with the present mode of drive ing cutters of this class a motor must be used adapted for one particular' kind of current while a dilferent motor is required with a different current, consequently necessitating the carrying of a variety of motors peculiarly adapted to the class of current provided.

Infaddition .to adapting the driving-elements for Ause in connection with all kinds of currents, by .tiltingthe cutting element as shown inv the drawings and providing the air space below thefcutting element, far lighter motors will give the same or greater driving power to the cutting element than would be possible with the cutting element resting flat against the surface being trimmed. In other words, two universal motors weighing substantially -211/2 pounds each, running at a speed of 10,000 R. P. M., of5/5 II. Pfeach and geared to the .cuttingelement asshown and described, will develop .a .greater pulling torque than a motor rated.v at 21/2 H. P., and weighing approximately 260 pound-s. Further-more, by tilting the cutting element, .the .temper will not be drawn from the cutting element by over-heating, and neither will Ithe surface ofthe block be charred. V

It will further be seen that-.by mounting the motors horizontally and connecting them :to the shaft 3 as shown, the weightlof the motors is entirely removedv from said shaft, which is very essential in eliminating vibration or chattering prevalent in machines having the motor mounted directly jupon the shaft carrying the cutting element.

It will be understood, of course, that while the motors are shown as driving a. block trimming element they may .be applied for driving other elements, such as meat grinders, slicers, and the like.V v

Having thusfully described my said invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is: y

In a block surfacing machine a portable track, a truck carriage movable along said track, a track on the truck at an angle to the first named track, a carriage movable -on the second track, a surfacing tool at the front end of the carri-age having its working edge below the level of the first named track, an inclined shaft supporting the tool in inclined relation to the work, a pair of horizontal shafts geared to the inclinedshaft and independent motors driving respective horizontal shafts, substantially as setV forth.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand andv seal at Petoskey, Michigan, this `6th day of August, A. D. nineteen hundred and twenty-one.

CHARLES S. HEATH. "[L. s] 

